We have some beautiful places to ride in the State of Arizona
and the scenery is so diverse that within a couple of hours the
landscape can completely change. I have been fortunate enough to have
seen most of the State and would like to share them with you. Five
years ago I listed my top 5 favorite destinations in the State and they
are still the same today. Although I have added one more destination
today that will make it my Top 6.

These are 6 destinations of what I consider worthy of putting on your "to do list" this year. I will give you a brief description of each and then a link to the story and photos.

Cyclerides.com Top 6 Destination Rides In Arizona

1.North Rim of the the Grand Canyon. (5 Star Destination. Best of the Grand Canyon Rides)Whenever anyone mentions the Grand Canyon, the South Rim is usually what they are referring to.It
is the closest to the Phoenix area, the easiest to get to and the most
often visited by far. In fact, of the 5 million visitors to the Grand
Canyon every year, only about 10% make it to the North Rim. But as far
as I'm concerned, those 90% are missing the real beauty of the Grand
Canyon. The North Rim is muchmore beautifulin my opinion. It seems to be enhanced by more erosion which creates more of a3-D lookto
the canyon versus the "big ditch" look of the South Rim. It is a really
pretty ride to get there and plenty of miles to ride along the rim.
Cabins are available for overnight stay. Dress warm as it is at 8800
feet in elevation. The park is only open from Mid-May to Mid-October.
Put this one at the top of your list for an overnight ride this year.Click Here for Full Story.Click Here forGoogle Map.Click Here for190 Beautiful Photos.

2.Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. (Never get tired of this one)Located just 25 miles South of Flagstaff, Arizona.The red rocks ofSedonaat 5000 feet in elevation are so unique and one of a kind that it is a place that I never seem to get tired of.I
have ridden all over the Western United States and Canada and haven't
seen a place that compares to the color and beauty of Sedona, Arizona.
And the good part is that it is only 90 miles away from Phoenix. People
come from all over the world to see the red rocks of Sedona and it also
happens to be one of the best places to ride a motorcycle through. The
best way to get the full view of riding into Sedona is to take Hwy. 179
off of I-17. This way you get the views for about 20 miles as you ride
in. There are plenty of places to eat, stay or hike while you are
there. Then head up 89A toward Flagstaff to cap off your ride. This is
a really good 25 miles of riding. Here are somephotos from the ground. And here are some exceptional photosfrom the airthat will give you an overview of what you will see.Here is a link to theDay Ride feature for Sedonathat was done several years ago with a map that includes Jerome.Click Here forMap.Click Here forFull Story.

3.Tortilla Flat and Canyon Lake. (Best Phoenix Local Destination)
(GREAT NEWS! Road construction is complete!)Located
just 14 miles East of Apache Junction, Arizona. This destination has
been and always will be my favorite ride in the Valley area.If you are looking for a ride with magnificentdesert landscapepacked with centuries oldSaguaro cactus nestled in between themountain backdropsof
the Tonto National Forest, this is the one for you. In my opinion, if
that is your criteria, this is one of the most beautiful,curvy, and enjoyable rides that you can take in the Phoenix area topped off by an extraordinary view ofCanyon Lakeas you make your way to the old stopping point known asTortilla Flatfor lunch. Don't forget to take theadditional 6 miles of asphalt past Tortilla Flat.Most riders have not done this section or have even heard of it. But it is the icing on the cake. Whenthe road turns to dirt, turn around and enjoy the 20 miles back to Apache Junction.Click Here for links to recentStory, Photos and Map.Click Here for originalDay Ride Feature with map.Ever wonder what the road looks like from the air?Click here for a birds eye view.Very interesting.

4.Mt. Lemmon and the Catalina Highway. (5 Star Ride and Destination)Located
on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. The ride up to Mt. Lemmon on
Catalina Highway is exceptional in many ways and is a motorcyclists gem
of the Southwest.This 30 miles of road has you in awe from the beginning as you ride through 3 eco-systems with massive amounts of hugesaguarosand beautiful desert, twisty roads and canyons, breathtakingvistasthat will have you rubber necking to get a peek as you are riding,Hoodoo's thatwill
entertain you followed by tall pines and Aspen as you drop into
Summerhaven to try and absorb all that you have just experienced. It is
truly like being in 3 different places all in a 30 mile ride. The best
way that I can describe this ride is that you start out on your way to
Tortilla Flat, you get a glimpse of Bryce Canyon minus the red Hoodoo's
on your way to the Sierra Nevada's and Yosemite National Park in
California before ending up in Colorado. At the top in Summerhaven
there is a good little place to eat. This is at 8200 feet. So check the
weather before you go. Click Here for theFull Storywith photos and maps.Click Here for the originalDay Ride featurewith maps.Click Here forMap

5.Kartchner Caverns. (An Unforgettable Experience)Located
at Kartchner Caverns State Park just 50 miles Southeast of Tucson,
Arizona. Kartchner Caverns has got to be one of the coolest and most
memorable places that I have been in Arizona.Kartchner
Caverns is a still virtually pristine massive limestone cave that has
13,000 feet of passages and two rooms as long as football fields. The
State Park offers tours through these multi-colored formations that are
live and still developing today. You will see the 58 foot tallKubla Khancolumn as well as many other formations.

The Caverns are the combination of the awesome colors and natural beautythat
nature has been preparing for us over the last 200,000 years combined
with the diligence of the State Parks to bring to us this phenomenon
and light it in such a way that it is a real"life experience".
I'm not going to give it away, but the end of the 1.5 hour tour is
phenomenal. The last 5 minute production is worth the whole trip, you
will be moved by this experience. The visit to Kartchner is still
something that I think about often. The park is open year round. There
are 2 separate tours in 3 rooms that you can take. The Big Room is only
open October - April. You will need to make tour reservations ahead of
time as there is limited space per tour. Cost is $22.95 per person for
ages 14+ and well worth it.

6. Grand Canyon Caverns.
Yes, this is another Cavern experience, but this one is a Dry cavern in
the Northern part of the State. It is located on Route 66 between
Seligman and Peach Springs, AZ. This
is one of those really cool, under the radar, "hidden gems" that I had
never been to in my 37 years in Arizona. I had briefly heard the name
from time to time, but just thought it was one of those cheesy road
side attractions from yesteryear on Route 66.Well,
after visiting Grand Canyon Caverns this past Sunday, it is a fantastic
destination and one that you should put on your list of things to do.It
could be a day trip, overnight family trip as they have 48 motel rooms,
a motorcycle day/overnight trip or even a private plane trip, as it has
its own runway next to it. However you choose to go, it will be a fun
and enjoyable adventure. You can even use it for a place to stay while
visiting Supai Falls, rafting the Colorado River or visiting the Grand
Canyon.

If you would like to experience a part of the Caverns,watch this short video of the tour. It is really cool to see. Turn on sound to hear the tour guide.Click Here to View Video.

So these are 6 of my top destinations to
put on your upcoming list of places to ride. I will be visiting a few
of these myself again this year. Feel free to forward this to your
riding groups to share some ideas with them.

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you would like to sign up for the Cyclerides.com Weekly UpdateClick Here.

Cyclerides.com
Bike Night at Westgate Entertainment DistrictLast Night of the season this Friday Night!

This Week Live Music with "The Visitors"
The Cyclerides.com Bike Night at
Westgate Entertainment District
from 5-9pm.
Put this on your calendar, forward this email to your riding buddies,
and come join us for Live Music, Vendors, Food, Fun and lots of
Motorcycles. There are
many new restaurants that have opened at Westgate in the last few
months, so there are plenty of choices of places to eat and drink. Bike
Night specials are posted below.

As usual there will be plenty of
vendors for you to browse
including Arrowhead Harley-Davidson, Ridenow Powersports, Indian
Motorcycle of Peoria, Law Tigers, Phoenix Motor Leathers, The Clip Man.

Please
take advantage of the great weather and help us make our 10th Season
of the Cyclerides.com
Bike Night
at Westgate Entertainment District the best yet. Westgate is located at
the Loop 101 & Glendale Ave. in Glendale, AZ. Gates open 5pm and Live Music this week with "Skarlett Fever"
begins at 6pm - 9pm. Come early, get your parking spot and enjoy some
good food, drink and Live Music.

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upcoming events at the Cyclerides.com Bike Night, Photos and Video.

Next
Week

June 7-1027th Annual Too Broke for Sturgis.
27th Annual Too Broke for Sturgis 2018 meeting once again at Mormon
Lake Lodge Campground – 1991 Mormon Lake Rd, Mormon Lake, AZ. 86038.
Ignite your engine, twist the throttle and come up to the cool pines
and celebrate the sheer joy of it all! Too Broke For Sturgis has
evolved from a simple getaway for folks that were too broke to go to
Sturgis to a major annual event weekend. Hosted by ABATE of Arizona as
our primary fund-raising event, Too Broke has become "a blast for
everyone that attended and if you don't make Too Broke, well it's your
own fault then." You can rest assured that the money raised goes to a
great cause, fighting for your motorcycling freedoms. Everyone who
attends is made to feel like family, even first timers.

The Saturday Poker Run will take you on a tour of that awesome scenery!
And don’t forget about the Miss Too Broke Contest, Tattoo Contest,
Poker Walk, Bike Games, Wet Tee-Shirt Contest. Too Broke is just an
all-around great biker party. Feature Band are Unchained & Mojo
Rats. The event is an ADULT ONLY party, attendees must be at least 18
years old to enter. For more information visit http://www.toobrokeforsturgis.com

Extras

Mid Week Updates will be made on the
Cyclerides.com Facebook.New
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LIKES! Take a look at all the new photos posted on the
wall. If you are not on Facebook, you can still view the
page, but you will not be able to post. There will be a link there
for you to sign up for Facebook if you are inclined. Click the LIKE
button!

How much practice do you think it took this guy to pull this off? Note the between the legs. Click Here to View.

Video of
the WeekThis girl is amazing! Watch these trick golf shots.Click Here.
Click on the Video of the Week
graphic to view.

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Here.